San Francisco and Egg Tour

A bit of California cuisine to start off your day. Photo by Stephanie Stiavetti.

I’m writing this from Portland but headed to San Fran for the Egg events below. Hoping to sneak out to Sausalito to meet the extraordinary Deborah Jones, photog of all French Laundry books and an angel on earth—one of the great luxuries of a book tour, seeing cherished friends. I emailed Stephanie Stiavetti (@sstiavetti), hoping to see her as well. Stephanie writes The Culinary Life blog. Her first book, Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, is also from Little, Brown, and it’s superb, the best one I’ve seen, in fact—accept no imitations! I asked her for SF food recs, and this is what she sent—well worth sharing (though Steph, I hear Hog Island closed for remodeling or something, damn!)—M.R.

Dispatch from Stephanie Stiavetti

If you’ve got time to head down to the Ferry Building, Hog Island Oysters is an epic oyster place. I’ve drowned my sorrows in beer and shellfish there many times. The Coachman, in the Mission, is good as well. If you’re willing to cab it, Flour + Water is the best pasta in town, Contigo is simple but creative Catalan small plates, and SPQR is excellent Italian food.

State Bird Provisions is the best meal I’ve had in the past five years outside of the French Laundry—you might have to pull strings to get in there, though. It’s relatively cheap and so good they’re booked up months in advance. If you get there at 5pm and stand in line, you can get a table. This is the one place I’d say is worth the line. And I hate lines.

Pancho Villa (wow, the website is hilarious!) is a pretty incredible Mexican place on Valencia. Definitely worth the cab fare, or the colorful walk though the Mission—just keep your wallet in your front pocket. Other seedy but awesome Mexican, because it’s just what you do when you’re in SF: Taqueria Cancun, La Taqueria, El Toro. Playa Azul way up around 29th and Mission is a total dive but has some of the best Mexican seafood in town (everything else on the menu is OK/edible).

Pizza: Delfina in the Mission (hit up Tartine while you’re over there!) is really good, but Una Pizza Napoletana in SOMA is the best thin-crust pizza I’ve had in the U.S. I balked at paying $25 a pizza, but then I finally ate there and was totally blown away. So. Good.

25 Wonderful responses to “San Francisco and Egg Tour”

Adam

Cassie

Seconding Tartine, Pizza Delfina, Hog Island Oysters, and Flour + Water. They’re all incredible, and if you show up at Hog Island at the right time the farmers market will be at full swing too. Enjoy all your eating!

Ted

Unfortunately Hog Island in the Ferry building is closed for renovations. Swan Oyster Depot on Polk and California is worth a visit if you need a seafood fix. I’d also recommend Izakaya Yuzuki in the Mission (across the street from Tartine). Amazing, and they cook with salt koji. http://yuzukisf.com/about-us/

Mrs. Renard

For Italian (Sardinian specifically) you really cannot beat La Ciccia. IMHO, head and shoulders above other Italian recs above. The food is exceptional, and the wine list is also very good (specialized in a large number of Sardinian wine). Items to watch out for are baby octopus stew in a spicy tomato sauce and spaghetti with hot oil and bottarga. Had some of the best tripe of my life at La Ciccia.

I prefer Pizzaiolo in Oakland to F&W and Delfina (they make salads very much in the vein of what you have pictured). They make my preferred pizza in the Bay area. (neapolitan wood fired)

Mrs. Renard

Oh, and instead of “cabbing it” try Uberx. Uber is all over SF, East Bay, etc.; we use it all the time. It is faster, easier, and much more comfortable than cabs (priced equivalent or less too). I am not affiliated with them, and I don’t want to write a long advert, but look at https://www.uber.com/ for more info.

Allen

All right, egg promo.
Pair it up with some egg white, gin, citrus, simple syrup. Maybe mix tequila instead of gin. Shake with ice until frothy.

Didn’t we do that already?

How about pairing a glass of good inexpensive champagne with some chicken liver soaked in brandy, sauté with minced onion, purée with chopped EGG, heavy cream until smooth. You could even add a little shmaltz.

Gives our “liver” a break, and uses a friggin “egg”.

Make April liver and egg month.
Be kind to your liver, and eat more eggs too.

Carolyn Z

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